PREVIEW | Volta a Catalunya 2025 stage 5 - Roglic and Ayuso set to defend Catalunya lead on crosswind-sprint stage
Cycling
From the 24th to the 30th of March the World Tour peloton returns to Spain, more specifically Catalunya, for one of the most exciting and difficult stage-races in the calendar. The Volta a Catalunya is always a massive test for the climbers, but equally other riders will also get their opportunities. We preview stage 5.
The easiest stage of the race - even though early on we've got some climbing. However on this day, ridden in and around the Terres de l'Erbre, the sprinters will have their way in what is a completely flat finale.
There isn't much to analyse on this day, and the truth is we should have a regular bunch sprint on a finale that has nothing technical about it.
The Weather
The strong northwestern wind will light this up to be another exciting day of racing. Kaden Groves and most of Alpecin-Deceuninck have left the race, leaving the field quite open for a surprise victory, but the truth is this will be a day where the GC teams will take to the front. It will be strong enough to create splits on several moments of the race but specially in the final hour of racing as it takes place on quite exposed roads. The final kilometers will be in a headwind, but until then that won't be the case.
This should be a day where the whole peloton won't arrive to the finish in contention for the win. Splits should occur, however how big they will be is hard to predict. A sprint finish will still decide the day, as the exposed headwind in the final kilometers makes a solo move almost impossible to thrive. Leadout won't be too crucial, likely. I believe Brennan and Vernon, the two fastest sprinters in the race until today, will be the main favourites.
Prediction Volta a Catalunya 2025 stage 5:
*** Matthew Brennan, Ethan Vernon
** Marijn van den Berg, Pavel Bittner
* Edward Planckaert, Matevz Govekar, Jon Aberasturi, Dorian Godon, Andrea Vendrame, Itamar Einhor, Axel Laurance
Pick: Matthew Brennan
How: Reduced bunch sprint.
Original: Rúben Silva
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🚴♂️ Aquest és el 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭 de la Volta a Catalunya masculina 2025!
— Volta a Catalunya (@VoltaCatalunya) March 14, 2025
🗺️ ¡Aquí tenemos el 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐨 𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 de la #VoltaCatalunya 2025!
😍 The 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞 for #VoltaCatalunya104! pic.twitter.com/iwRRWNkADn
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- Great picture, so alike and yet so different, Mads has the physique of a weekend amateur in comparison. You have to wonder how much better he could still be. I know it’s difficult not to be taken in by MVDP’s performances but it feels like reporting loses some of its purpose as a result, compared to other teams, we hardly hear about the Alpecin in-race work or riders.Mistermaumau30-03-2025
- agreed. flanders is a beast. i like tadej, but i’m full on rooting for mathieu next sunday.OCexile29-03-2025
- Indeed, strong as ever on the flat, maybe stronger on climbs. There are very few records within reach for contemporary riders (Cabendish had to extend his career to get his and took twice as long as Merckx to equality), this would be one that would be very hard to take away.Mistermaumau29-03-2025
- I thought newspeak was condensing any statement into the smallest number of pertinent words.Mistermaumau29-03-2025
- flanders is mvdp’s favorite race and he’s one win away from being the lone record holder with 4 wins. i’d be very surprised if the gap that pogačar opened in him there 2 years ago wasn’t THE major focus of all his training. and when mathieu has a goal, he turns himself inside out to achieve it. we’ll see next week if he got there, but i’d agree with van avermat’s assessment of van der poel’s fitness.OCexile29-03-2025
- It’s almost like newspeak. It’s classics season, Pogacar’s main rival has always been van der Poel. Then grand tour season will begin, and we will pivot mid sentence and Pogacar’s main rival will have always been Vingegaard. What a season this promises to be. Let’s hope they stay healthy (and Vingegaard gets past the concussion).RidesHills29-03-2025
- Great that he’s decided to do Flanders though his weight remark is irrelevant, Mads is proportionately heavier and MVDP has the same weight but is around 10cm shorter.Mistermaumau29-03-2025
- Yeah, looks slow up there.Jumpyjohn28-03-2025
- lol His aim was well off! MVP was well past him before the guy decided to spit.Cyclingsbestfan28-03-2025
- But you know that’s what makes this website live ;-)Mistermaumau28-03-2025